There’s Keola Lai, Waihonua, One Ala Moana and The Collection, four Kakaako high-rise condominium projects either developed, or being developed, or financially backed by Honolulu-based Alexander & Baldwin Inc.

Alexander & Baldwin wanted to create a “new sense of place” with its Kakaako condo project by naming it The Collection, CEO Stanley Kuriyama said.

Note that only one, The Collection, doesn’t share a Hawaiian name like the other three.

Some in the real estate industry and others have been wondering why A&B chose to go with a name like The Collection as opposed to a Hawaiian name.

That’s why I decided to bring the topic up during a recent one-on-one interview with A&B Chairman and CEO Stanley Kuriyama.

He told me that the company’s first instinct was to go with a Hawaiian name, but they ultimately felt it was time to be different.

“[We] were trying to create a new sense of place,” Kuriyama said inside a boardroom at the historic A&B Building in Downtown Honolulu. “[It’s] a little bit of a break from our tradition, [as we tried to] create a more hip, modern, urban living environment.”

Thus far, The Collection has had a good response with buyers, with nearly 70 percent of the 397 units for the 43-story condo project already sold.

HAWAII AMERICANA REALTY

For the past 14 years, Mark G. Howard has practiced his skills as a licensed Realtor in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Las Vegas, Nevada and now Principal Broker & President of 'Hawaii Americana Realty', in Honolulu, Hawaii. He has gained a competitive edge in the real estate market by earning his status as an Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR).